There are many projects which are brought together by the Low Carbon Zone banner, some separately funded.

The main Low Carbon Zone project is funded to help residents lower their energy use (and therefore CO2 emissions) also creating warmer, more efficient homes and it is the largest (in terms of geographical size and population) of ten Low Carbon Zones across London. The project aimed to cut emissions by 20.12% by mid 2012 and received funding from the Greater London Authority to a partnership of organisations, including HUG, Richmond Council and South West London Environment Network to oversee and deliver these improvements. HUG have been involved from the initial stages of the project's design, thanks to the hard work of a small group of HUG members, led by Andrew Beedham HUG's representative on the Low Carbon Zone Steering Group.

The project worked by residents signing up to join the scheme. By doing so they received an energy audit at home conducted by British Gas, who were also partners in the project. After the audit the British Gas Engineer gave the resident a starter kit worth £150 containing 10 'measures.' These are devices/gadgets that aid creating warmer, more efficient homes. The contents of the kit can be downloaded here.  

Results

Other information, including the full list of partners can be found on Richmond Council's website.  

Once on board and starting to save money and CO2 emissions, residents can use Imeasure, an online tool to monitor their own energy use. Partcipants will also be able access grants and loans to install other measures, including: loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, photovoltaic panels that generate electricity and solar thermal panels that produce hot water, both from sun light. These latter two measures should be fitted last in any project as it's important that a property is as efficient as possible before generating heat and power so as not to waste it. Futher information about loans and grants will be made available shortly.

Green Streets

Another project linked to the Low Carbon Zone is Green Streets. Funded by British Gas, fifteen residents (applications closed) and local schools will represent Ham and Petersham in a national competition to become the greenest community and receive a £100,000 prize for the community. Green Streets is supporting investment in renewable energy measures for the residents and local schools, giving grants towards solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels. You can see what the group have been up to and give your ideas and suggestions on how they can beat the other groups on their greenstreets   solariHam (Andres note: link does not work try https://twitter.com/solariham)

Mornington Walk resident Edmund White has recently installed solar panels on his roof with the help of the Green Streets project.

Street Champions

HUG, working in partnership with Richmond Environment Network, has secured separate funding from London Sustainability Exchange to run a separate, but linked project in the Low Carbon Zone. The project aims to engage residents in the overall Low Carbon Zone and additionally encourage residents to undertake measures such as draught-proofing, increasing insulation and encouraging 'behaviour change' in how residents 'use' their homes to create more efficient, warmer, cosier dwellings and lower their energy bills (thus saving CO2). This project is called Energise Ham and Petersham or by its more common name, the Ham and Petersham Street Champions project.

For more information about the work to be done by Street Champions, please see our Street Champions page: http://e-voice.org.uk/hamunitedgroup/low-carbon-zone/street-champions/

For more details about energy-saving measures, go to: http://www.energsavingtrust.org.uk